What do you think of your children?

I used a blog topic generator to come up with today’s topic, because I don’t feel like writing the “Amazing men and their overwhelming desire to marry revolting women” blog (I’ll write it one day, promise).

And the topic: “What do you think of your children?”

Woah.

Ok, generator. You suggested it, so I’ll write about it.

My extended families (both paternal and maternal) are huge. My sister and I have hundreds of cousins (first, second, third, etc) in every direction. A real sense of family was instilled in us from a young age, so it made sense that I was “Aunty” to her dolls and teddy bears, and she “Aunty” to mine.

As we got older, the title of Aunty extended to living things – guppies (they were ALL called Larry because (a) they all looked the same and (b) they all swum around the tank “happy as Larry”), goldfish (Fisher & Paykel), cats (Friesian, Fluffy, All Black & Wallaby), a goat (Bartley) and a horse (Tootsie).

So, once an Aunty, always an Aunty, right? At this exact moment in time, my sister and I each have one child. She has a wonderful daughter Foxglove* aged 5 ½ and I have a son, Edelweis.

“Edelweis, isn’t that the name of your cat?” I hear you say? Yes.

Just because my son is a quadruped, is covered in fur and purrs when happy doesn’t mean I love him any less than I would a human.

He is the love of my life. When I’m at work, driving around town, flying around the country, in fact, anywhere except for home, his dear little face pops into my mind. And when I think of him, I smile and get that warm, contented, excruciatingly happy feeling that can only be described as love.

Back to the generator question…what do I think of him? Well, I think he’s witty, silly, loyal and incredibly photogenic. Occasionally I think he’s a grumpy little so and so.

It makes me proud when he patiently puts up with children patting him and tugging at his fur. It makes me extra proud when greets each visitor to our home. I love that he always answers a question and believes that his tail is a separate entity to the rest of him.

I love that he trusts me so wholeheartedly that he can fall into a deep sleep with all four legs in the air. And I adore that he is a stickler for routines. 

Most of all, I love that he is my son, and that the Universe meant for us to be together.

Well played Universe, well played.

*Not her real name